English

The PassionThrough the study of literature one analyzes the world, the human condition, andperhaps most profoundly, one's own psyche. By examining works from all genres anddeveloping excellent written communication skills, students learn to contemplate culture,to think independently, to analyze logically, and to appreciate the beauty in languageand literature. In a world where technical abilities quickly become obsolete, the studyof literature teaches the expressive and analytical skills necessary for professionalsuccess and sound philosophical judgments.

The ProgramGonzaga University's rigorous English curriculum stimulates personal and intellectualgrowth. Founded on solid introductory writing and literature courses and covering a varietyof genres, the English major (36 credits) requires students to take classes in seven periodsof English and American literature:

• Pre-1500• British Lit: 1500-1800• British Lit: 1800-1900• British or American Lit:1900 to the present• Early American• General American• Shakespeare

Students may choose from numerous electives to complete their program. Examplesinclude: Studies in the Novel, Studies in Woman Writers, Creative Writing, Post ColonialLiterature, and Modern Theories ofLiterature and Criticism.

In the senior year, English majors take the B. A. Comprehensive Exam which consistsof three parts: Short Answer, Essay, and Explication. Covering a list of about 60 workswith which students are expected to have thorough and comprehensive familiarity, theexam tests students' interpretive and writing skills learned in their English course work.

Students with diverse interests may double-major or fulfill minors in other fields. Englishmajors often obtain teacher certification from the School of Education, complete a Pre-Law or Pre-Medicine track, or add an additional major such as history, journalism, ortheatre arts. Students majoring in any field may minor in English (21 credits) to enhancetheir language skills.

Outside of the classroom, the department supports student contributions to Reflection,the campus literary magazine, and The Bulletin, GU's weekly newspaper. Winners ofthe Franz and Ann Schneider Essay Contest for the best freshman essays are awardedcash prizes and gift certificates, and selected student essays are chosen for publicationin the Department collection. Through the William T. Costello Poetry Contest, the topthree student poets receive cash prizes.

Gonzaga's English faculty members recommend that high school students planningto pursue an English major take regular and advanced high school courses with anemphasis on developing strong writing, reading, and analytical skills. The Departmentdoes not believe that taking the first-year college composition course in a high schoolsetting is in the best interest of students.

The Potential

•One third to one half of graduating seniors plan to do graduate work.

•Gonzaga has an outstanding reputation for its undergraduate preparation of Ph.D.'s in English andrelated fields. Department graduates have entered prestigious graduate programs and now holdacademic positions in various universities across the country.

•Two Gonzaga alumni, Dr. Michael Herzog and Dr. Michael Pringle, continue to impart theirknowledge and challenge their students as faculty of the Gonzaga English Department.

Recent Gonzaga EnglishGraduates Have Attendedthe Following Schools:

Law Schools• Georgetown University• Lewis and Clark College• Seattle University• Temple University• University of Hawaii• University of Miami• University of San Diego• University of Washington

English Graduate Schools• Purdue University• University of Chicago• University of Denver• University of Glasgow• University of Massachusetts• University of North Carolina• University of Virginia• University of Washington• University of Wisconsin• Washington State University

Interested students may apply to work in the Gonzaga University Writing Lab, which is directed by an Englishfaculty member. Some institutional and Federal Work-Study funding is available for tutors in the lab. In recentyears, a grant has also been secured to hire junior and senior English majors as tutors. Additionally, studentsmay volunteer or receive credit for working in the Writing Lab.

The PeopleOver the past twenty years, English faculty members have earned Fulbright Awards, grants from agencies suchas the National Endowment for the Humanities, and several teaching and scholarship awards.

The faculty consistently publish poetry, fiction, and literary criticism; write for local publications; and review filmsand plays. Focusing primarily on teaching, however, the faculty place a high priority on assisting students withclassroom concerns and long-range career plans. All faculty members have posted office hours when studentscan set appointments or drop by with their questions or concerns.

A Sample of Recently Published Works by Gonzaga English Professors:Beth Cooley. Shelter. New York: Delacorte Press, 2006.

Heather Easterling. Parsing the City: Jonson, Middleton, Dekker, and the City Comedy's London as Language. New York. Routledge, 2007.

Faculty Contacts and Specialties:Daniel Butterworth, Ph. D., University of North Carolina; Creative writing and Contemporary literature.(butterworth@gu.gonzaga.edu)

Elizabeth Cooley, Ph. D., University of North Carolina; 20th century British and American literature.(cooley@gu.gonzaga.edu)

Brian Cooney, Ph.D., University of South Carolina; 19th century British literature.Teresa Derrickson, Ph. D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Post-colonial literature and contemporary literarycriticism. (derrickson@gonzaga.edu)

Heather Easterling, Ph.D., University of Washington; Shakespeare and Renaissance literature.(easterling@gonzaga.edu)